Betting on the NBA is always easier when
you pick your spots. Not every matchup is going to give you sufficient value
against the basketball odds; that’s not the case with these three games from
Wednesday’s slate. We start things off with everyone’s favorite team: the
Charlotte Bobcats. They’re painting the town purple and teal, don’tcha know.

Indiana vs. Charlotte (7:00 p.m. ET)

No, I’m not picking the Bobcats (7-8 SU,
8-6-1 ATS) to beat the spread against the mighty Indiana Pacers (13-1 SU, 10-4
ATS), especially when the Pacers are 5-1 ATS on the road and the ‘Cats are 3-5
ATS at home. But I’m not going to fade the future Hornets, either. This matchup
is about the total. Charlotte has the UNDER at 10-4-1 this year; Indiana is
10-4 in that department.

We should see one of those low, low scores right
out of 1998 on Wednesday night. At one end of the court, you have Charlotte’s
No. 28-ranked offense facing Indiana’s top-ranked defense. Nothing unusual
there, but the Bobcats also have the NBA’s No. 6-ranked defense (!), and
they’ll be matched up against the No. 15-ranked Pacers offense. It gets better:
Indiana is No. 19 in pace, and Charlotte is No. 28. Low totals will not deter
me from betting the UNDER here. All we need now are Anthony Mason and Antonio
Davis.

NBA
Pick: Take UNDER 180.5 at Ladbrokes

[gameodds]5/248343/?r3=43-19-349/dec&r-1=43-19-349/us[/gameodds]

Chicago vs. Detroit (7:30 p.m. ET)

Well, now that the Bulls (6-7 SU, 5-8 ATS)
have gotten their collective rump roast handed to them by the Los Angeles
Clippers, I might have to buy into the idea that they’re emotionally deflated
following the loss of PG Derrick Rose for the remainder of the season. We’ll
see if they can pick themselves up off the floor and make it into the playoffs
regardless, just like they did last year.

This pick has more to do with home/away
splits, though. Chicago fell to 2-6 ATS on the road with that loss at Staples
Center; Detroit (6-8 SU, 7-7 ATS), meanwhile, is 4-3 ATS at the Palace after
beating the Milwaukee Bucks (+7) 113-94 on Monday. The Pistons are also 4-1 ATS
at home against losing teams. That’s you, Chicago. Let’s see if guards Brandon
Jennings (17.3 PER) and Rodney Stuckey (20.0 PER) can run rings around the
Bulls backcourt.

NBA
Pick: Take the Pistons –3.5 at The Greek

[gameodds]5/248348/?r3=43-19-349/dec&r-1=43-19-349/us[/gameodds]

Portland vs. Phoenix (9:00 p.m. ET)

What’s that? I expect you to choose between
the Trail Blazers (13-2 SU, 11-4 ATS) and the Suns (7-7 SU, 10-3-1 ATS), the
two most profitable teams in the NBA thus far? No sweat. This is another
matchup with home/away considerations; the Blazers are 7-1 ATS on the road this
year, while the Suns are a manageable 3-2-1 ATS in the desert. They’ve also
dropped their last two home games, against two very bad teams in the Brooklyn
Nets (–1) and the Sacramento Kings (+5.5). Maybe the good times are already
over.

We got something of a preview for
Wednesday’s game when these two teams met in Portland on Nov. 13, with the
Blazers winning 90-89 as 7-point faves. Phoenix is 2-4 SU and 3-3 ATS since that
contest, while Portland is 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS. The NBA point spread has shrunk
to 4.5 points for the rematch. Even better, Suns PG Eric Bledsoe (23 points,
six assists in the first game against Portland) is day-to-day with shin splints
and may or may not play on Wednesday. Break out your voodoo dolls.